The investment is part of the apprenticeship levy scheme, which aims to encourage work-based training in particular sectors by making large organisations set aside money for apprenticeships. Employers can use the funds to pay for accredited apprenticeship courses, and larger employers are also allowed to spend some of their funds on their supply chain. Funds that aren’t used by the employer within two years expire and are passed back to the government.
In July last year, the Health and Care Committee noted that Care England reported that 95% of care providers were struggling to recruit staff and that 75% of providers were struggling to retain their existing workforce. In October, the CQC’s State of Care report said that in the first three months of 2022, 2.2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient workforce capacity. With job satisfaction a huge factor in the departure of many health and social care workers, the funds are intended to help organisations ensure more people join, stay and progress within the industry.
However, with £3.5 billion of levy funds unused since 2019, the scheme has faced criticised from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), UKHospitality, techUK, and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). The trade bodies recently called for the government to widen the scheme and create a broader skills levy that can be spent on a wider range of high-quality, accredited courses. For example, shorter, more targeted courses, or more tailored upskilling programmes, including functional and digital skills.
Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access HSC, said: “We welcome discussions about reform to the apprenticeship levy scheme, as we are keen to maximise the impact of the funds and make apprenticeships more accessible. However, in traditionally ‘tech-poor’ sectors, like social care, the scheme is already making a positive impact, with apprenticeships playing a crucial role in improving job satisfaction and, ultimately, staff retention, with unhappy and unfulfilled staff more likely to move into other roles."
“As we have seen in health and care, where the money is helping to address some of the issues that have contributed to an already depleted workforce, I hope more organisations can benefit from being able to recruit more staff and upskill their existing teams.”
Working with 75,000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors, The Access Group invested the money into its own apprenticeship schemes as well as sharing it with 25 organisations from across health and care, supporting them to recover from the impact of the pandemic. To date, Access HSC has supported care homes with apprenticeships ranging from Level 2 to level 5 (which is equivalent to a foundation degree). Benefactors of the financial support include residential care providers, Burrow Down Support and Home2Home with Care; and domiciliary care provider Hamble Valley Care.
Each month, Access HSC transfers funds to a range of care organisations. The money allows them to work with apprenticeship providers of their choice to deliver employee training and support. At the beginning of the process, the apprenticeship providers worked with the various care organisations and their employees to understand which apprenticeships were right for them. Individuals of all ages are now being trained as part of the programme, covering qualifications from Levels 2 to 5, which ranges from GCSE to foundation degree level.
Steve Sawyer added: “When we first explored the potential of this opportunity, we took the decision to make the investment available to all organisations, not just our customers, ensuring it can be used effectively by those who need it the most. Our approach aligns with recent comments made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who outlined his commitment to apprenticeships and explained how the department will be working with local leaders on prioritisation.”
The financial impact of the pandemic caused many training budgets to be weakened or scrapped altogether. With one in four care workers reportedly thinking of leaving the profession, apprenticeship schemes give people the skills and structured career paths that help improve staff retention and recruitment at a crucial time for the sector.